


Interest and Worry

by alynwa



Series: Short Affairs [19]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 09:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11124324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alynwa/pseuds/alynwa
Summary: The prompt word is Shadow.The prompt color is crimson.





	Interest and Worry

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt word is Shadow.  
> The prompt color is crimson.

Illya was so engrossed in what he was seeing through his microscope that he literally jumped when a shadow crossed his lab table.  He looked up to see his partner standing there grinning.  “What are you doing here, Napoleon?”

“I thought we were supposed to be working on our mission reports over lunch.”

“We are.”

“Well, it’s after two; when were you planning on eating lunch, Partner?  I’m starving!”

Illya checked his watch.  “Oh.  Sorry, Napoleon.  I lost complete track of time.”

“Anything to do with whatever you were looking at on that slide?”

“Yes.  Here, look for yourself.”  The Russian stepped aside to allow the CEA access to the microscope.

Napoleon bent down and gazed into the microscope.  “All I see is crimson and black…stuff.  What am I looking at?”

“The crimson is blood and the black is my newest truth serum, Veritol Twenty.  If you watch long enough, the black will begin to dominate the blood cells.  What that means is that whoever is injected with this new serum will succumb to it much faster than with Veritol Nineteen.  I think we can begin field testing it in the next month or so.  We could discontinue Nineteen, which would put THRUSH at a great disadvantage as they only have Nineteen with which to develop an antidote.”

“That’s great, Illya, the Old Man will be pleased.  I think we can use this to our advantage.”

Illya stopped taking off his lab coat to look at his partner.  “What do you mean?”

Napoleon held the door for Illya to exit ahead of him.  “Well, Waverly will no doubt want you to create an adequate supply of Veritol Twenty before approving it for field testing, right?”

“Yes.”

“I have a mountain of paperwork on my desk that I have to dispose of before the Old Man kills me.  If we go to him with your new veridical and explain that we can utilize the office time to create new serum and eliminate paperwork, respectively, I think he’ll allow both of us to work out of Headquarters for the next few weeks.”

Illya arrived at the Commissary door first and held it open for his partner.  “Why do I get the feeling that you want to remain in Headquarters not so much to address paperwork, but to make the acquaintance of the eleven new administrative assistants and stenographers that started this past Monday?”

Napoleon splayed his hand against his chest.  “I’m hurt!  You know I have a ten-inch stack of paperwork in my Inbox!”

“Yes, and I also know I will end up completing at least a third of it.  Just admit, Napoleon, I will not tell anyone.”

The two men were on the cafeteria line and Napoleon shrugged.  “Perhaps there is some truth to what you say,” he replied obliquely as he paid the cashier.  When they sat at a table he added, “And what if I _do_ introduce myself to some of the new staff and maybe have a couple of dates?  It’s still true that I have office work to do.”

The Russian sighed.  “I know you think I am a prude and a killjoy, but I wish you would be a little more discriminating about where you put your…interest.  One day, your libido could prove to be the death of you.”

Napoleon smiled at his partner.  “And here I thought _I_ was the Mother Hen around here!”  When he saw that his partner wasn’t sharing his mirth, he reached across the table and put his hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.  “Illya, trust me: I really don’t stick my _interest_ into every Tanya, Denise and Henrietta I meet.  You don’t have to worry about me.”

As Illya pulled out his notepad so they could begin putting together their last affair’s report he thought, _I hope not._


End file.
